Linkage mechanism for carburetor valves



Nov. 4,1941. T. E. MAJOR 2,261,502

.LINKAGE MECHANISM FOR CARBURETOR VALVES Original Filed June 1, 1940 4 Sheets-Shet l 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 T. E. MAJOR LINKAGE MECHANISM FOR CARBURETOR VALVES Original Filed June 1, 1940 Nov. 4, 1941.

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Nov. 4, 1941. T. E. MAJOR LINKAGE MECHANISM FOR CARBURETOR VALVES 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed June 1, 1940 Trog}:

Nov. 4, 1941. T. E. MAJOR v 2,261,502

LINKAGE MECHANISM FOR CARBURETOR VALVES Original Filed June 1; 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 $6 Elm/0mm 9, 1 r gog E. Mgor Patented Nov. 4, 1941 TE'ISTATES 3 Claims. 74- 526) l... This application is a divisionof my pending application, Serial No. 338,445, filed June 1, 1940.

My invention relates to aspeed control device for a motor vehicle and this application more particularly to a linkage mechanism for a carburetor valve.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel speed control device which will allow the motor to deliver its maximum power to the driving mechanism of the vehicle until the vehicle attains a desired speed at which the novel speed control device has'been adjusted to function.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel speed control which will partially or completely close the throttle valve of the carburetor or other fuel feeding mechanism whenever the speed of the vehicle exceeds the desired speed by a predetermined number of miles per hour.

Another object of my invention is to govern the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle has attained the desired speed by preventing any Fig. 9 is a section on line 3--3 of Fig. l. Referring to Fig. 6, the frame of the motor vehicle is I and supports the motor 2. MotorZ is provided with a cylinder head 3 to which the carburetor 4 is attached. The throttle valve operating mechanism whichis shown in detail in Figs. 1, 2, 7, 8, and!) is enclosed by the cover andattached to thesuppOrt bracket 6 by the screws l, 8, Sand Ill. The screws H and [2 seincreasein the throttle opening as long as the speed of the vehicle. remains equal to or greater than the desired speed. 1

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel speed control device which is reliable, accurate, compact, economical to manufacture and install,. easy to adjust, not likely to get out of order, and which will not prevent the operation of a motor vehicle in the usual manner if the speed control device should become defective.

I attain these and other objects of my invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which i v Figure 1 is a side elevation of the carburetor throttle valve operating mechanism with all parts in the at rest or starting position;

Fig. 2 is a similar elevation of the carburetor throttle valve operating mechanism With all parts in the positions occupied at the point of release;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, of the circuit closing and breaking means in partial section;

Fig. 4 is an elevation view of the circuit closing and breaking means, partially in section, on line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on line l- -l of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a motor vehicle, partly in section, with the novel speed control device attached;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of Fig. 1, with a portion in section;

cure the support bracket to the cylinder head and the screw l3 in the upwardly extending arm of the support bracket provides.apivot for the foot accelerator arm l4,

The vehicle frame I also supports the floor l5, the seat It, the dash board H, the steering column l8 which is provided with a steering wheel [9, and the formedmetal part 20, which serves for part of the dash, for the instrument support panel, and as a support for the -upper end of the steering column I8 to which it is attached by the band 2|.

The transmission 22 is secured to the crank case 23 by the screws 24, 25, and 26. The transmission is provided with the universal joint 21 and the speedometer drive terminal 28 which is connected to the speedometer 29 by the two flexible shafts 30 and 3| and through the circuit closing and breaking means enclosed by the cover 32. The circuit closing and breaking means is shown in Fig. 3'and will be described in detail later. The cover is held to the circuit closing and breaking means by the screws 33 and 34, and the circuit closing and breaking means is secured to the dash 20 by thescrews 35 and 36. Electric current is supplied to the circuit closing and by the screw'43.

spring 45a which is provided with end hookssecured in a hole in the dashboard cleat lfi and also in a hole in the accelerator arm lug 41. The accelerator slide 48 is attached to the foot accelerator arm by the screw 49. The carburetor throttle valve lever 50 is normally held in a closed position by the torsion spring one end of which is secured to the carburetor body and the other end terminating in a hook engaging member 54. The carburetor throttle valve lever 56 is connected to the throttle valve slide 48a by the link 52 and the link pivot screws 53 and 54. So long as the speed of the vehicle does not equal or exceed the desired speed in miles per hour, the foot accelerator when depressed opens the carburetor throttle valve a corresponding amount. When the foot accelerator is fully depressed the foot accelerator arm swings to the dotted line position 55, and the carburetor lever 59 swings to the full open position shown by the dotted line position 56.

The vehicle may be operated in the conven tional manner and the motor accelerated to deliver full power at any position of the gear shift lever 51 so long as the vehicle does not equal or exceed the desired speed. When the speed equals or exceeds the desired speed, my novel speed control device becomes operative in a very desirable and effective manner.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4 which show the circuit closing and breaking means which is connected to the speedometer flexible drive shafts 3B and BI at opposite ends of the governor shaft 58. The governor shaft is supported by the bearings 59 and 69 near each of its ends. The bearings 59 and 69 are threaded to engage the bearing brackets 62 and 63 and also to engage the hollow shaft nuts GI. The bearing brackets are secured to the base plate 64 by the screws 65, 65, 61 and 68. The base plate 64 is provided with apertures 69 and Ill for the screws 33 and 34 which secure the cover 32, (see Fig. 6), and also with apertures II and I2 for the screws 35 and 35 which secure the base plate 64 to the dash 20. The ends of the flexible shaft center shafts I3 are squared to enter and drive or be driven by the ends of the governor shaft 53 which is provided with a square axial hole in each of its ends, (as shownin Fi 5). v

The fiem'ble shafts 39 and 3| terminate with ahange sleev'e I5 attached to the flexible shaft 30 by the sleeve "I4, and the flange sleeves I5. which are Lshape in cross section through onehalf the sleeve, are secured to the respective bearings by like hollow shaft nuts 6| the end portions of nuts 6| engaging the outturhed flanges of sleeves I5, as shown in Fig. 3-. At the inner ends of the bearing 59 are secured a set collar I9 by means of screw I'I and a set collar "I8 secured by screws I9 and 89. Screws I9 and 80 also secure one end of each of the governor springs 8| and 82. Attached to the governor springs at the center of their length are the governor weights 83 and 84 securedby the rivets 85 and 36 and washers 81 and 88. The other ends of thegovernor springs are secured by screws 90 and 9I to the hub of the governor disc 89. Disc 89 is drawn to the dottedline position 92, (shown in Fig. 3) whenthe go'vernor weights swing outward to the dotted line positions shown in Fig. 3, as'the speed of the gov ernor shaft 58 increases in revolution in proportion to the increase in speed of the motor vehicle. The disc roller 93 is forced to follow the movement'of'the disc 89 by the spring 94, which is firrnly held at its lower end by screw 68 mounted on bracket 63. u

The roner shaft 95 is held in a'bea'ring'block 96 by screw 91. The bearing block pivots on the end of the standard 98 and is held thereon by the cotter key 99. The lower end of standard 98 is secured to the plate Iilil by the screw Iill which passes through the base plate 84. The contact screws I02 and I63 are screwed through the ends of the contact standards I94 and IRS respectively. The contact standards are made of non-conducting material and are secured to the plate Hit! by the screws I06 and W1, as shown in Fig. 4.

As shown in Fig. 3, the springs I09 and IE9 are fitted with contact points Ill] and III at their outer ends and secured at their opposite ends to the clamp block H2 by the screw H3 and nut H4. The screw H3 and the springs I88 and I99 are insulated electrically from the clamp block by the insulation parts IE5 and I It. The nut II4 connects the wire 38 from the battery to the springs I09 and I09. The clamp block H2 is secured to the roller arm Q5 by the screw Ill. The wire 39 is connected to contact screw I02 by nut H8, and wire 40 is held to contact screw I03 by nut H9. It will be understood from the construction of the entire contact making and breaking means, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, that as the governor disc 89 moves toward the position shown in dotted lines as 92 and shaft correspondingly moves to the dotted line position I20, the contacts H9 and III are correspondingly moved toward the respective contact screws I02 and I03. The proper setting of the contact screws is accomplished byrotat ing the plate I00 around the pivot screw IOI (as shown in Fig. 4) until the contact between the contact point Illl' and contact screw I02 is made at approximately the desired speed, and thereupon clamping the plate I09 to the base plate 64 by means of the screw I2I which passes through the radial slot I2Ia in the plate and in threaded engagement with base plate 64. The accurate adjustment of the contacts between the point Ill] and contact screw IE2 at the desired speed and between the point II I and the contact screw I03 is made by screwing the screws I92 arid I03 outward or backward through the contact standards I04 and I95 and locking the contact screws with the nuts I I8 and I I9. For example, the first contact may close a circuit through wire 39 at 46 miles per hour and the second contact close a circuit through the wire at at 50 miles per hour in order for my novel speed control device to properly function at the desired speed of 46 miles and at a maximum speed of 50 miles per hour. The electric circuits through the wires 39 and 40 control the action of carburetor throttle valve control mechanism which is enclosed by cover 5, (shown in Fig. 6) and hereinafter described. The contacts are to remain adjustable for whatever setting is desired to properly govern the speed 'at any other desired or maximum speeds.

The carburetor throttle valve operating mechanism consists of the accelerator slide 48 and the throttle valve slide 480, and related parts supported by the base plate I22. The slides 48 and 48a are held in proper'rela'tio'n by the guide bars I23, I24, I25, and I26 (see-Figs. "I and 8), which are secured to the base plate I22 by the screws I21, I28, I29, and I39. The base plate I22 is provided with holes 'I3I, I32, I33, and I34 through which the screws "I, 8, '9, and I0 pass to secure the cover 5 and base plate 22 to the support bracket 6, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6.

The accelerator slide 48 is provided with a latch slide I 3|. which...engages a notch I32.in slide 48a. The latch slide I3I isheld to the accelerator slide 48 by the rivet I33 which passes through the slot I34 of the'latch slide I3I. The tension:spring I35, secured at one end into the ear. I36 of'the latch slide I3I and secured at the other end to the screw I31 which in turn is screwed. through the lug I38 that is secured to the accelerator slide 48 by the screw I39, normally' draws the latch slide I3I along the accelerator slide 48 until .the end I34a of the slot I34 strikes the rivet I33. The spring I35 is of suificient strength to force the throttle valve slide 48a. to the position I48, shown in Fig. 2 in full lines and in Fig. l in dotted lines, against the resistance of the torsion. spring (shown in Fig. 6). and while so doing keep the slot end I34a against the rivet I33 as the accelerator slide 48 is forced to the position MI by the foot acce1-: erator arm movement, through screw 49 engaged in, the hole I42. The screw 53 (Fig. 6) engaged in the hole I43 of member 48a. connects said throttlevalve slide 48a with the link52, which in turn is connected to the carburetor throttle valve lever 50.

When the circuit is closed through wires 38 4 and 3.9 at the desired vehicle speed by the circuit closing and breaking means shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the current flows through the solenoid I44, the wire I45, the spring I46, the contact points I41 and I48, the swinging release lever I49, and through the release lever pivot pin I58 secured in the grounded plate I22.

The swinging release lever I49 is provided with a spring I5I secured by rivet I52 to press against the pin I53, which is screwed into plate I22, to move the swinging release lever downward. The swinging release lever is notched at its lower end to loosely embrace the upper and lower edges of the accelerator slide 48, as shown by the shoulders I54 and I55, and is held on the pivot pin I50 by the cotter key I56. The spring I46 is connected to the wire I45 and clamped by screw I51 to the insulating block I58 which is secured by the screw I59 to the plate I22. The circuit through wire 39 energizes the solenoid I44 and its attracts the pole shoe I60 provided with the pole shoe pin I 6| which swings the latch bell crank I62 on the pivot screw I63, secured in plate I22, to lower the latch lug I64 to the position I65, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, where it will engage the teeth on the ratchet segment lever I66. The ratchet segment lever pivots on screw I61, secured in plate I22, and is provided with a pin I68 which engages the slot I69 in the throttle valve slide 48a, whereby the ratchet segment lever I66 is swung to the dotted line position I49. The solenoid I 44 is secured to the plate I22 by the screws I1I, I12, I13, and I14. The latch bell crank is normally held in release position by the torsion spring I15.

If the motor vehicle is being slowly accelerated at the instant the desired speed is'reached, the latch lug I64 will engage the ratchet segment and prevent a further movement of the throttle valve slide 48a, and therefore also prevent a further opening of the carburetor throttle valve, although the foot accelerator may be later fully depressed to move the accelerator slide 48 to the position I 4|, as this results only in the extension of spring I 35 and themovement of rivet I33 toward the slot end I43b.

In case the foot accelerator was sofar depressed at the instant the desired speed was reached-that'the vehicle continues to accelerate to the maximum speed, a circuit is closed, as explained, through wire 40 to the solenoid. I16, which is secured to the plate I22 by the screws I11 and I18. The solenoid I16 is grounded. through screw I18 and attracts the pOle shoe I19 on the swinging. release lever I49. This operation lifts the swing release lever I49 and the accelerator slide 48 to the position shown in Fig. 2. When the accelerator slide 48 is lifted the latch slide I3I is disengaged from the notch I32 in the throttle valve slide 48a. and the latter is returned to the position I85, as shown in Fig. 2. If desired, the arm I88, which is secured to the throttle valve slide 48a by the screw I8I, and provided with a foot I82, may be adjusted so that thefoot willstrik the lug I83, as shown in dotted lines at l82a. This checks the closing of the throttle valve at some desired opening less than the opening required to accelerate the vehicle to the desired speed, by stopping the throttle valve slide before it reaches the full closed position I85. This last adjustment is made with the foot accelerator fully depressed in order that the throttle will also fully close when the foot accelerator is released.

When the foot accelerator is fully released the latch slide I 3I will return to the dotted line position I84 (as shown in Fig. 2) and will reengage the notch I32 in the carburetor slide 48a (as shown in Fig. 1), when the speed of the vehicle drops below the maximum speed and the solenoid I16 is deenergized by the breaking of the circuit through wire 48 in a reverse manner to the closing of the same circuit. The contact between the points I41 and I48 is broken whenever the solenoid I16 lifts the swinging release lever I49 in order to deenergize solenoid I44 and release the latch lug I64 from the ratchet segment lever I66 at the same instant that the latch slide I3I is Withdrawn from the notch I32 in the carburetor slide 48a to allow a free return of the latter.

It will be understood from the above that a motor vehicle equipped with my novel speed control device may be operated in the usual manner in all gears and at all speeds below the desired speed, and a further opening of the throttle will be prevented when the vehicle attains the desired speed until the vehicle speed drops below the desired speed. Also the throttle opening may be entirely closed when the maximum speed has been reached or only partially closed to any opening less than the opening required for maintaining the desired speed at the choice of the driver. The full power of the motor is again available as soon as the speed drops below the desired speed simply by releasing and again depressing the accelerator. This last advantage is very desirable as the full motor power may be utilized to maintain the desired speed under heavy load and adverse road grade.

What I claim is:

1. In a motor vehicle speed control device, a carburetor valve controlling mechanism, comprising a base plate, an accelerator slide member slidably mounted on the base plate and having a depending lug, a throttle valve slide member slidably mounted on the base plate, a pivotally mounted ratchet segment lever operatively connected to the throttle valve slide member, a spring-controlled latch positioned to engage the aforesaid ratchet member, a latch slide member carried by the accelerator slide member and positioned to be thrown into and out of engagement with the throttle valve slide member, a spring resiliently connecting the latch slide member with the accelerator slide member, means carried by the throttle valve slide member adapted to operatively engage the lug of the accelerator slide member for checking the closing of the throttle valve before it reaches full closed position, and electrically controlled mechanism for operating the latch member to cause it to engage the ratchet segment lever.

2. In a motor vehicle speed control device, a carburetor throttle valve controlling mechanism, comprising a base plate, an accelerator slide member slidably mounted on the base plate, and having a depending lug, a throttle valve slide member slidably mounted on the base plate, a pivotally mounted ratchet segment lever operatively connected to the throttle valve slide member, a spring-controlled latch positioned to engage the aforesaid ratchet member, an adjustable latch slide member carried by the accelerator slide member and positioned to be thrown into and out of engagement with the throttle valve slide member, and adjustable spring resiliently connecting the latch slide member with the action,.and electrically controlled mechanism for operating the latch member to cause it to engage the ratchet segment lever.

3. In a motor vehicle speed control device, a carburetor valve controlling mechanism, comprising a base plate, an accelerator slide member slidably mounted on the base plate and having a depending lug, a throttle valve slide member slidably mounted on the base plate, a pivotally mounted ratchet segment lever operatively connected to the throttle valve slide member, a spring-controlled latch positioned to engage the aforesaid ratchet member, a latch slide member carried by the accelerator slide member and positioned to be thrown into and out of engagement with the throttle valve slide member, a spring resiliently connecting the latch slide member with the accelerator slide member, means carried by the throttle valve slide member adapted to operatively engage the lug of the accelerator slide member for checking the closing of the throttle valve before it reaches full closed position, electrically controlled mechanism for operating the latch member to cause it to engage the ratchet segment lever, and electrically-controlled means TROY E. MAJOR. 

